SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - The United States Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission and Tanimura & Antle, one of the largest
lettuce growers/distributors in the United States, announced today
that they reached a $1,855,000 voluntary settlement, approved by
U.S. District Court Judge James Ware in San Jose, California. The
settlement through a Consent Decree avoids protracted litigation by
the EEOC on behalf of two employees and a class of current and
former Tanimura & Antle employees who were allegedly subjected
to sexual harassment and retaliation in Salinas, California, and
Yuma, Arizona.

In its federal court complaint, the EEOC alleged that a Tanimura
& Antle production manager subjected a female employee, Blanca
Alfaro, to quid pro quo sexual harassment, i.e. required sexual
favors as a condition for employment and the receipt of job
benefits. The EEOC alleged that Alfaro was subsequently subjected
to a hostile work environment, which included constant unwelcome
sexual advances by that production manager and another management
employee. The Commission further alleged that Alfaro was discharged
in retaliation shortly after complaining about the unwelcome
advances.

Based on its investigation, the EEOC also alleged that other
workers were subjected to similar types of harassment by managerial
and supervisory personnel and were retaliated against for
complaining about the repeated harassment. The company's
retaliatory conduct allegedly included the creation of a hostile
work environment and, in some cases, actual discharge.

The EEOC further alleged that Tanimura & Antle unlawfully
retaliated against one male employee, Elias Aragon, when he
complained about the sexual harassment of Ms. Alfaro. This
retaliation included verbal abuse and suspension without cause,
until he was ultimately discharged.

Under the Consent Decree, which will be enforced over the next
three years, Tanimura & Antle may pay up to a total sum of
$1,855,000 as damages to be allocated to Alfaro, Aragon and current
and former applicants and employees employed by Tanimura &
Antle from September 25, 1994 to February 8, 1999 for their claims
of alleged sexual harassment, sex-based harassment and retaliation.
Alfaro's and Aragon's specific recoveries remain confidential by
court order. Claims for compensation under the decree must be filed
between March 1, 1999 and July 31, 1999 with the EEOC or its
designated agents. The company agreed that it will revise as
necessary its existing sexual harassment policy and the handling of
complaints of harassment. Tanimura & Antle will provide
mandatory sexual harassment training to all of its employees,
including supervisors and managers. Tanimura & Antle, with
headquarters in Salinas, has additional operations in Oxnard and
Huron, California (near Fresno) and Yuma, Arizona.

Ida L. Castro, the Chairwoman of the EEOC, said: "This
settlement represents a precedent - setting effort by the EEOC with
regard to sexual harassment in the agricultural industry in
California. This is a fair and equitable settlement that helps
create an agricultural workplace that is free of sexual harassment.
The lawyers representing both the EEOC and Tanimura & Antle
insisted on principle, but recognized the need to find common
ground. This is a win-win situation for the company, for the EEOC,
and, most of all, for the employees."

EEOC General Counsel C. Gregory Stewart said: "The importance of
the injunctive non-monetary relief elements of this settlement --
the no harassment policy, the training, or other items -- cannot be
overestimated. We are optimistic that this Decree will make
concrete differences in the day-to-day lives of the migrant
farmworkers at Tanimura. If we are right about this, then the
benefits to both the mission of our agency and the objectives of
the agricultural community can be huge."

Tanimura & Antle President Rick Antle stated, "This
settlement is indicative of our commitment to our employees.
Tanimura and Antle does not and will not tolerate sexual harassment
in its workplace. While we were never able to substantiate the
allegations made by the EEOC in this case, we feel it is in the
best interest of our current and former employees to resolve this
matter by establishing a claim fund for individuals who may have
suffered from sexual harassment while under our employ. In an
effort to better serve employees in the agricultural industry, we
have agreed to contribute up to $400,000 to charitable
organizations that address women's and employees' rights in the
geographic areas where our Company operates. We hope this endeavor
will increase services provided to the agricultural employee who is
often a hidden but vital contributor to the California
economy."

Mike Antle, Vice-President of Operations for Tanimura &
Antle, added, "Treating employees with dignity and respect is the
basis of our employee-relations philosophy. Our bilingual training
programs echo this philosophy as will the additional training that
will take place under the settlement. In particular, we will
provide employees with the skills to recognize and prevent sexual
harassment. This will entail altering perceptions of what is and is
not acceptable conduct in the agricultural work-place, potentially
altering long-held stereotypes regarding male and female
interactions that have been in existence for centuries."

Carmen Ponce, Vice-President for Human Resources, noted, "The
settlement reached in this case is due to the Tanimura & Antle
families putting their employees first which has continuously
earned them the distinction of being the foremost innovative
employer in the agricultural industry. This settlement has far
reaching implications in that it gives the agricultural industry a
wake-up call about its role in educating agricultural employees
about their rights, about internal complaint procedures and about
how to respond to uncomfortable situations in the workplace. In
performing this role, employers like Tanimura & Antle afford
themselves the affirmative defenses recently given to us by the
Supreme Court, at least as to claims pertaining to a hostile work
environment."

William R. Tamayo, EEOC's Regional Attorney in the San Francisco
District Office which filed the case, added, "Agribusiness is
California's largest industry and employs a million workers each
year. Farmworker women have raised civil rights issues to the EEOC,
and consequently, the Commission has made sexual harassment in the
agricultural industry a priority for civil rights enforcement. This
Consent Decree and Tanimura's resolve to eradicate sexual
harassment serve as models for ensuring that these workers,
particularly immigrant women who don't speak English, are
protected."

Susan L. McDuffie, EEOC San Francisco District Director, stated,
"This Settlement provides immediate compensation to women who
suffered discrimination. Employers in the agricultural industry
must realize that sexual harassment and retaliation will not be
tolerated. This settlement provides protection for migrant farm
workers and it ensures fairness and cooperation and dignity for
every employee at Tanimura & Antle. This is a good result."

Jose Padilla, Executive Director of California Rural Legal
Assistance, added, "Our office, along with the Women's Employment
Rights Clinic of Golden Gate University Law School, represented
Blanca Alfaro, an individual in this case, and we were able to
obtain a satisfactory confidential settlement on her behalf."

EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which
prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion,
sex, and national origin; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act,
which prohibits discrimination against individuals 40 years of age
or older, sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Equal Pay
Act; and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The San
Francisco District's jurisdiction includes Northern and Central
California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.